Issue 753 Thursday, November 11, 2010

Supported by readers of the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News

HERITAGE AND

HEROESMeet Warren

Petoskey, Pages 2 and 3.

A TommyTitan visit,

Page 6.

Warren’s StoryThere is a song

dancing through my heart, reminding me of quieter times and more peaceful ways.

My earliest memories of Waganakising (Wah-GAH-nah-kissing) are of visiting my Great Auntie Ella Jane Petoskey. She lived in a small cabin in the middle of the woods, west of Harbor Springs and Lake Michigan. Waganakising is the place where our Odawak summer grounds were located. The word means, “it is bent,” and refers to a great white pine that grew on the shore, near what today is Good Hart.

Waganakising extended

from just east of what today is Charlevoix, all the way to Sturgeon Bay, north of Cross Village.

Great Auntie entered the world in 1880 and walked on in 1972, at age 92, so she witnessed the dramatic transformation of our people. I heard her speak in the beautiful, poetic language of our grandfathers – Anishinaabemowin (Ah-NISH-ahn-AH-bay-mow-in), the original language of the Great Lakes region. The rocks, trees, waters and Mother Earth knew this language. At the age of six, on one of my visits, I remember taking off my shoes to feel this place with the soles of my feet.

Thursday, November 11, 2010 MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM2

Printed by: The Detroit Media Partnership Sterling Heights, Michigan, Fall 2010.

Yak chatThe Yak has been feeling the

chill in the air so he’s glad to have his furry coat! But November’s chill just means it’s all the warmer inside. And it’s a month that’s warming the Yak’s heart with many special occasions.

November is Native American Heritage Month. On this page and Page 3, hear from Warren Petoskey as he shares the story of his nation in Michigan.

Next week is National Geography Awareness Week. Test your Geography smarts with a puzzle and quiz on Page 5.

Today is Veterans Day, a day when we salute the men and women who have served in the armed forces. Read about a school sending some goodies to the troops in Afghanistan, Page 6.

And, of course, November brings Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of the month. The Yak is already hearing from many of you about what you are thankful for this year. We’re thankful for artwork every week on Page 7.

Also Inside:

» Stars “Shake It Up” on Page 4.

» Give the gift of reading, Page 6.

» Grizzly bear count is up, Page 6.

On the cover:Tommy Titan, the mascot of University of Detroit-Mercy, shows Harms students some stretches, as part of Tommy’s teaching on exercise and eating healthy, as a way to be an everyday hero!Cover photo by Cathy Collison

Warren Petoskey is a member of the Odawa and Lakotah Nations and belongs to the bear clan.

Meet Warren PetoskeyA Song Dancing Through His Heart

Warren Petoskey is a Michigan treasure. A member of the Odawa (Oh-DAH-wuh) and Lakotah

La-KOE-tuh) Nations, the 65-year-old elder is a writer, native artisan, traditional musician and spiritual leader. He belongs to the bear clan, whose tribal duties are to promote decency, order and peace.

Warren is the great-great grandson of Ignatius Petoskey, the Odawa leader after whom the City of Petoskey was named. When Warren was 9, a great aunt, Ella Jane Petoskey, asked him to “carry” Ignatius’ traditional name, Biidassige (BIHD-uh-seej), which means, “one who brings the light.”

Today, in honor of Native American Heritage Month, Warren brings his “light’’ to the time before the European settlers arrived. He lives in Gaylord with his wife, Barbara, who is Cherokee and Choctaw. They have seven children and 15 grandchildren.

— Patricia Chargot

MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM Thursday, November 11, 2010 3

I heard Great Auntie speak of our Odawak village. She told me how Odawak women hummed as they prepared meals, thinking good thoughts over the food so their families would think good thoughts as they ate it.

Great Auntie told me that a squirrel could climb a tree at Good Hart and never touch the ground until it reached the banks of Lake Huron. She said the canopy from the giant trees prevented sunlight from reaching the earth. She said there were clear pathways through the forest because of this, but that is no longer true. In the 19th and 20th Centuries, the lumber industries destroyed all but a few remnants of the state’s virgin forests.

We knew that the great bounty we enjoyed did not belong to us. We believed the Creator had placed us here to be caretakers of his garden. It was considered dishonorable to even consider trying to dominate the environment.

We called the rocks “grandfathers,’’ believing they spoke to us of Mother Earth’s long history and our own relationship to Her. We did not view rocks as inanimate objects, but counted them among the many life-giving things the Creator had spoken into existence. Many of us still believe these things, though sadly, we are too few.

Humans could drink from any stream and consume fish and venison without fear of ingesting toxins. The environment around us was not considered a “wilderness,” and only became so with the arrival of the Europeans.

Our lives were peaceful. We arose at sunrise with the songs of the morning birds as our alarm clock. When darkness fell and another day ended, people went to their dwellings to be lulled to sleep by the crickets and the whippoorwills. It was so quiet at times that one could hear a mouse playing in the leaves. Elders would sit for long periods of time and never speak. Quiet was an important time: Quiet was valued and appreciated. No one was in a hurry. To hurry was to make mistakes and miss things of importance. Courtesy, love, honor and respect were the order of every day.

In late fall, hunters began preparations for their journey in jiimaans (JIH-mahns), or canoes, to the hunting grounds, which were located

in what today is Wisconsin and Minnesota. Young men accompanied the hunters to learn how to hunt and to care for the meat and hides.

When sufficient meat had been harvested, the men loaded the jiimaans and traveled to the winter grounds, southwest of what today is Chicago. Their families – the Elders, women and children of Waganakising – would arrive at the winter grounds about a month earlier to prepare for the arrival of the hunters.

Winter was a time for storytelling. Spring announced the time to begin the journey back to Waganakising. It was a good journey because we stopped to visit our brothers and sisters in other tribal encampments along the way.

It was on one such return in 1797 that my Great-Great

Grandfather Biidassige was born at the mouth of the Manistee River at first light.

I loved visiting his granddaughter – Great Auntie Ella Jane Petoskey – in her cabin in the middle of the woods. She touched my life in a way no one else could. I could see the ancestors and the life we once had through her eyes and her stories.

Anishinaabemowin is the language of the Anishinaabeg, the three main tribes of Great Lakes Indians:

The Odawa, the Ojibwa and the Potawatomi.

Charlevoix

Good Hart

Cross Village

MICHIGAN

Detroit

Map area

Words to know:

» Virgin forests: Also called first-growth forests, meaning the forests have never been cleared.

» Walked on: This means a person has died, or passed away.

Warren Petoskey uses computers and drives a car. But he tries to live as close to nature as he can, like his ancestors.

Thursday, November 11, 20104

When we yakked with Bella Thorne and Zendaya recently

about their new show, “Shake It Up,” on the Disney Channel – we couldn’t help but think of another young Disney star we first interviewed when she was heading up the cast of a fun new show. Of course, everyone knows her name (it starts with M) now, and the Yak bets the same will be true for the “Shake It Up” co-stars.

Bella, 13, and Zendaya, 14, play BFFs CeCe and Rocky, who land their dream jobs as background dancers on a hot local dance show called “Shake It Up, Chicago!”

Bella says she thinks kids will like the weekly show, which debuted on the Disney Channel Sunday, because, “It’s got lots of dance, it’s really, really funny– there’s a lot of physical comedy – and there’s lots about friendship, family, and following your dreams.”

Bella completely understands CeCe, her character on the show, because it’s been her dream to land this kind of job, too. “It’s been my dream to be on a dance show and it’s also CeCe’s, so I can relate,” she says.

Bella, who was born in Hollywood, Florida, has been in the biz for most of her life. She got her first job modeling baby clothes when she was just six months old. She did a lot of modeling until she was about eight when she moved with her family to California to pursue acting. “Everyone else in my family was involved in it – my brother and my sisters – so I was kind of just born into it and ended up loving it,” says Bella of her path to modeling and acting. Bella has always loved to dance, but never took formal lessons until she landed the part on “Shake It Up.” She worked hard getting ready for the part by taking hip-hop classes every day for about six months before the show started production.

While Bella has appeared on many TV shows,

“Shake It Up,” is Zendaya’s first TV acting job – and wow, what a first job!

But she’s not new to performing. Her mom, a teacher and the house manager at the California Shakespeare Theater, always brought Zendaya to the theater. “I grew up at the theater, ripping tickets (at the door) and watching tech rehearsals, and that’s how I realized that I wanted to act by watching these amazing artists,” says Zendaya. “I thought I was going to be the basketball girl, and play sports.” But Zendaya recognized what she really wanted to do was act,

sing and dance. She performed in several community productions in the Oakland area (near San Francisco) where she grew up and also took up hip-hop dance and hula.

About a year and a half ago, Zendaya’s parents started bringing her to Los Angeles to auditions. She says, “We were coming up and back, up and back from Oakland to L.A. and I was doing auditions.” Then she got her big break with “Shake It Up.” “This is my first TV show ever! This is my very first one,” says Zendaya.

Zendaya’s beautiful name means “to give thanks,” she says. She has decided to use only her first name in launching her show business career.

In this season of Thanksgiving, it sounds like both Zendaya and Bella are thankful for their new opportunity and viewers will be thankful for a really fun show to watch.

By Janis Campbell

MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM

Photo Courtesy of Disney“Shake It Up” debuted at 8:30 p.m. Sunday on the Disney Channel with new stars Bella Thorne, at right, and Zendaya.

New Stars Shake Up The SeasonFast Facts on Bella

• Birthday: October 8, 1997

• Family life: Bella lives with family, including two older sisters and a big brother, and lots of pets in Los Angeles, California.

• School: Bella has been home-schooled for several years and now goes to school on the set. She’s in seventh grade and her favorite subject is vocabulary.

• Favorite Thanksgiving food: Pumpkin pie!

• Favorite dance music: Techno – fast and with a great beat!

Fast Facts on Zendaya

• Birthday: September 1, 1996

• Family life: Zendaya lives with her dad in Los Angeles and her mom, who is a teacher, is still based in Oakland, California, where Zendaya was born and raised. She takes care of Midnight, Zendaya’s Giant Schnauzer, and commutes to L.A. often. She also has two grown-up brothers and sisters and is proud to be an aunt.

• School: Zendaya is in eighth grade and her favorite subjects are art and science.

• Favorite Thanksgiving food: Stuffing – made vegetarian-style.

• Favorite dance music: “Anything with a beat that makes my head bop.”

5

National Geography Awareness Week kicks off Sunday. These geography answers can be found in the story you just read:

1. This city is home to the setting of the new “Shake it Up!” show. It’s also nicknamed the “Windy City.”

2. This California town is next door to the city which is famed for its hilly streets and has a team that won this year’s World Series.

3. This California town is known for movies, but it’s also a town in Florida.

MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM Thursday, November 11, 2010

Bonus quiz: The Yak has traveled all over the country and the world. Look at this photo and see if you can tell us where the Yak is.

(Answers on Page 7.)

Geography PuzzleCan you name the capital cities of the states listedbelow? We filled in the vowels to help you.

INDIANA1

2

3

4

5

WEST VIRGINIA

MASSACHUSETTS

I

A

Answers:1. Indianapolis2. Atlanta3. Charleston4. Angusta5. Boston

,I A A O I

1

2

, GEORGIAA A

3

O ,A E

O O

4

5

, MAINEA

,

AU U

Geography Pop Quiz

Photo by Mary Schroeder

Basketball Rules for Sale The Yak cannot imagine a world without

basketball. He’s in awe of the man, Dr. James Naismith, who invented the sport. The Yak had a chance to meet Dr. Naismith’s grandson, Ian Naismith, when the Final Four tournament was

in Detroit two years ago. Now those valuable first rules, typed on two pages, which the

Yak saw on display, are for sale. On Dec. 10, those rules are going to be auctioned in New York City. The documents may sell for $2 million.

Grizzly Bears On The MoveA recent media report

from The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) and the U.S. Geological Survey shows that Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is coping with a growth in the grizzly bear population. Scientists report that there are at least 603 of the big bears in the park’s area, three times as many bears as in 1975. You can count on more studies as the bears impact humans in the park.

MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM6

Harms Elementary School in Detroit has mega-goals in reading. In fact, the news of their mega mission brought them a

visit from friends of the new “Megamind” movie and a visit from a mascot pal of the Yak’s, Tommy Titan, from the University of Detroit-Mercy. Kids at Harms have had personal goals to reach in their reading this fall – and as a reward for reaching the goals (some as many as 10 books in 4 weeks!), the readers are getting movie passes to the new movie. Tommy Titan, meanwhile, helped teach some exercise tips so all kids can be super strong in mind and body. Mariah Shaw, a fifth grader at Harms, shares some of her hero essay with us: “My Megahero is not one person, but my whole family. One way my mom inspires me is that she takes me and my sister to school and has to be at work… My sister helps me understand my homework…. My last Megahero is my brother. One reason is because whenever my computer has a problem, he fixes it.”

Veterans Day Salute Today is Veterans Day, a day to thank and

salute men and women who have served in the military. It is observed on Nov. 11 of each

year. Has someone in your family served in the military? Some students the Yak knows are also helping current military troops at this time. At Vandenberg Elementary in the South Redford school district, students recently collected more than 50 pounds of Halloween

candy to send to troops in Afghanistan. And speaking of our military, there’s still time to send art to those who have served. Check out www.yakscorner.com and click on the Oct. 14 issue, page 7 for details.

Help a Scout If you find a grocery bag on your porch this

week, don’t throw it away. Fill it with canned goods. The bag is part of “Scouting for Food,” a service project. On Saturday, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts will be picking up the bags with donations. Do not leave perishable items, which means items that will perish, or spoil, for the food drive.

Gift of Reading This week is also a chance to help young

readers with the Detroit Free Press’ Gift of Reading program. Borders Bookstores in metro Detroit are collecting books for kids. To find out more, click on www.freep.com/reading. The goal is to collect enough books for every Detroit public school student in pre-kindergarten through third grade to receive a gift book.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Photo by Cathy CollisonErnesto Cordova, a fifth-grader at Harms Elementary School in Detroit, draws a Megamind in a series of activities the movie promotions staff brought to the school to reward them for reading and the school’s mega-mission in exercise and education.

Yakking about the newsA weekly wrap-up for young readers

KIDS MAKING NEWS

MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM Thursday, November 11, 2010 7

By Ja-Karah Harris, 12, Detroit

The Yak loves your drawings. The Yak also loves winter! Time to send drawings of your favorite holidays, winter sports and snowy scenes. Draw on white 8 -by-11 paper and use bright colors. Be sure to print your name, age, city and phone number clearly on the back of your drawing. Send your art to Yak’s Corner Art P.O. Box 310163, Detroit, MI 48231.

By Tony Gates, 12, Detroit

By Krishana Castro, 12, Detroit

By Daja Watkins, 10, Detroit

By Rojan Sabah, 12, Troy

By Myles Wiley, 8, Detroit

Send usyour art

See more art online in the Yak Art Gallery at www.yakscorner.com

Yak each week asks for bright colors. Compare the colors chosen in this week’s art. Experiment with the brightest and boldest colors for your next art. That works for any season. Winter art can have snow, but maybe the snowman has a bright, red scarf? Or pick bright colors for the holidays lights!

Think about art!

Page 5 answers: 1. Chicago, 2. Oakland, 3. Hollywood, Sydney Australia

MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COMThursday, November 11, 20108

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Yak’stake-home page

DPS to Open Eighth Parent Resource Center

Q&A

Test your knowledge:Where will the new Parent Resource Center be located?

How many other Parent Resource Centers are there?

How many parent visits have the Parent Resource Centers had?

Detroit Public Schools recently announced it will open a new Parent Resource Center at Phoenix Academy, 7735 Lane Street. The center, which will offer workshops and activities for parents, will be the eighth one in the school district.

The new center is part of DPS’ “Parent and Community Engagement 2.0” plan, which aims to help parents to help their kids perform better in school.

“I’ve been going to the Central Parent Resource every day and using the resources,” said DPS parent Shannon Hill, who secured a part-time job at EduTech for Learning through her contacts at the Parent Resource Center. “They are up-to-date with a lot of things going on. It’s really, really helpful.”

The Parent Resource Centers, which opened in the spring, have had

more than 5,000 parental visits. They have offered hundreds of workshops, including coffee talks on parent engagement, expert-led workshops, job training, support groups, MEAP support, “Grade Level Content Expectations” workshops, computer training, mobile dentist visits, sessions on Title I programs, talks on “Saving Your Child’s Education” and more.

Parent Resource Centers are located at Brenda Scott Middle School, Central Collegiate Academy, Cody High School, Priest Elementary School, Marcus Garvey Academy, Detroit School of Arts West - Langston Hughes Campus and the DPS Welcome Center. They are all open from Monday to Friday and all offer childcare while parents are using the center.

Build skills for reading – tips to try

Activity:The DPS Parent Resource Centers encourage

parents to get involved in their children’s education. This week’s activity should be done with a parent or guardian.

Create a biography – or life story – of a parent or guardian. Try to learn something new by asking questions, such as:

» Where did he or she grow up?

» Which schools did he or she go to?

» What was a first job?

Once you gather the information, write it down as a story.

Source: Detroit Public Schools

The Parent Resource Center at Central Collegiate Academy.